It was first conceived in 1993 as Digambara, implying “standing naked”, then transformed into the Chrysalis, the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. Finally, it evolved into the simple and catchy name we know today – Coppell Literary Arts Magazine, or C.L.A.M.

A compilation of prose, poetry, photography and art, the C.L.A.M. showcases the artistic talents of Coppell High School students and staff members. Every year, students and staff submit their works from the start of the school year until the December submission deadline. Just short of 1,000 submissions in total, the C.L.A.M. staff, made up of Matthew Bowden’s Creative Writing class, sorted through the works to narrow selections down to fit in a 100-page magazine.

This C.L.A.M. has 24 staff members and a record of five “chief editors”, who direct the selection process and design the final composure of the magazine: juniors Linley McCord, Hayden Weaver, Ashleigh Heaton and seniors Shibi Riyaj and Britt Plotsky.

“There’s a lot more variety than usual from all kinds of subjects, from life and death and even lemons,” said prose editor junior Ana Niño. “This year we have a lot of teacher-submitted entries. It’s interesting to see teachers’ pieces, whether it is writing or photography – it enlightens us a little more on our teachers and gives us a new perspective.”

Even submissions from the CHS staff as well as the CISD administration made it into the C.L.A.M.

“I saw fliers posted on the walls of CHS three years ago,” Todd Kettler, CISD director of advanced academics and former English teacher said. “I get a number of works published each year, medical stuff, but I never expected to publish my poetry.”

The collection of pieces this year is themed after the cycle of day in comparison to the cycle of life. With five chapters – Sunrise, Midday, Dusk, Night and Blue Moon – the 2010 edition of the C.L.A.M. hopes to mirror the emotions of birth, renewal, energy, a falling out, completion and death, and leaves the chapter of Blue Moon open for miscellaneous entries.

C.L.A.M. staff made sure to keep the collection of art diverse as well as consistent with its contributors; Round-Up yearbook editor-in-chief and nationally-recognized photographer, senior Loren Carlile, submitted pictures that will grace numerous pages of the C.L.A.M., in such abundance that the staffers have teased to change the name of the C.L.A.M. to “Book of Carlile”.

“It’s nice to have recognition,” Carlile said. “It feels good that a group of people would be so welcoming to my art and put so many pieces in [the C.L.A.M.] to tease that it’d be called the ‘Book of Carlile’”.

As the staff is putting final details of the compilation together, the magazine should arrive on campus mid-May. The C.L.A.M. can be purchased for $15 at Bowden’s room, C 231.

“It’s more fun for people to read your stuff,” Kettler said. “I am very excited for it to come out [and to] share my writing.”